9.1.13

NEW BBC DEAL

The
BBC’s decision to extend its contract to show the World Championship, UK
Championship and Masters is good news for snooker in the UK.

The
sport’s profile in its traditional home is maintained by having exposure on
terrestrial television.

The
BBC first broadcast snooker in black and white before Pot Black in 1969 brought
the game into living rooms in full colour.

It
led to a boom which in turn created the professional circuit, so snooker has
much to thank the BBC for.

They
used to show five network tournaments, now it is down to three. The new deal
gives the BBC an option to show a fourth from 2014.

The
BBC is a public service broadcaster so sport is one of the things it should be
showing but it has been outbid in recent years by Sky Sports and others.

The
snooker deal is good for them for another reason: 25% of its output has to be
produced by independent production companies. The snooker is produced by IMG.
Snooker Extra exists solely for this reason.

The
new BBC deal is likely to ensure that the Crucible will continue to host the
World Championship until 2017, bringing it to 40 years as the home of the sport’s
premier event.

In
this ever changing snooker world, it provides continuity and helps the game to
maintain a stronghold in Britain, where it first flourished nearly a century
ago.

21 comments:

Options are never a great deal. It basically means that the WSA can't shop the world championship around but the BBC can pull the plug. If the BBC isn't willing to commit to the world championship then these are worrying times indeed for the future of snooker on the BBC.

Real shame if this '4th event option' means that Barry is trying to sell the BBC some gimmick tournament at the expenses of the Welsh Open. For UK events Hearn's 'innovations' seem to revolve around drinking / loud music / glamour models - and TBH I think it is beyond him to come up with a new tournament that will sell well and be attractive to BBC Viewers.

The Welsh is one of the longest standing tournaments and kept going even through the lean years of Walker's regime - it deserves better than to be bumped off the calender just because Barry doesn't want to take the risk of hiring a proper venue (i.e. the CIA) and trying to promote it properly. Presumably it has been good for BBC Wales and they would continue to cover it for the right price?

I think if you are going to keep the WC in Britain then it will probably have to be kept at The Crucible. The only strong argument for taking it away from Sheffield is to go to another country, which is going to have to happen one day if Snooker is going to walk the walk on its "international sport" aspirations.

Not often I disagree with DH but bbc deal not good for the game. Rubbish coverage of the tournaments, not always on red button and with bbc cuts not even guaranteed to be on there at all, no HD onn bbc2 or red button, commentators frankly past their best and nauseating - there is little to commend it. Give the whole lot to Sky where all of the above will be eliminated. Full HD coverage of all matches and decent commentators, Everton, Yates etc - people who know a bit about the game apart from cliched out of touch ex players.

11.30, Have to disagree with your point about the commentators. Ex players are what you need. They know the shots and the tactics, which is what I want to hear discussed. The non players drive me mad with their incessant waffle about stuff that has already happened that everyone already knows. How many max's a player has made every time the opening red is potted with a black. What has already happened in the match so far, even though we've been watching the same match since the start. Anyone can read stats or even memorise them. Its expert knowledge thats needed in commentary.

716, I like how you just pluck a % figure from thin air and use it as it would fit your argument.

I asked 33 people in my work yesterday if they had both sky sports and bbc.

29/33 had sky sports package.2 of the 4 were women who said theyd no interest in any sport.of the other two, one said theyd consider getting it if a sport they loved would be on it and not on the bbc any more.

so, yeah, just keep plucking any old figure you want to post and bolster your argument. those of us with half a brain, and in fact some with a full one, know you make them up.